Monday 11 / August / 2025
Ahmed bin Ali Al Maamari, Executive Vice President of the Financial Services Authority (FSA), affirmed that the issuance of the Promising Companies Market regulation advances the incentive programme to develop the capital market in the Sultanate of Oman. The programme, endorsed by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, may Allah protect and preserve him, aligns with Oman Vision 2040 goals to enhance economic diversification and the investment environment.
In an official statement, he highlighted that the regulation provides a flexible framework enabling private, family-owned, emerging, and small and medium enterprises to access alternative financing tools in a transparent, adaptable investment environment. This, he noted, helps create diverse funding opportunities in the local market to meet companies’ growth and expansion needs.
He explained that the incentive programme includes three main tracks, one of which is establishing the Promising Companies Market as a sub-market within the Muscat Stock Exchange. Its alignment with the regulation, he added, offers more flexible financing options and supports companies in achieving higher levels of institutional maturity and sustainable growth.
The regulation, he said, sets out clear listing mechanisms and simplified initial requirements, such as achieving specified annual growth rates, meeting a minimum number of shareholders, and paying fixed, published fees. These measures reduce market entry barriers and improve corporate transformation efficiency.
The Executive Vice President invited all eligible private sector companies to explore the financing and listing options offered by the Promising Companies Market.
Haitham bin Salem Al Salmi, CEO of Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX), said the creation of the Promising Companies Market represents a key structural development in Oman’s capital market system. It will provide a specialised financing channel for emerging, small and medium enterprises, as well as family-owned and private companies, under phased regulatory requirements that enable a smooth transition to the main market.
Al Salmi added that the MSX, as the market operator, will offer a fully integrated trading environment supported by advanced technology, flexible disclosure models tailored to growth-stage companies, and governance standards aligned with their nature, which he said would strengthen qualified investor confidence and stimulate market liquidity.
He affirmed that the initiative aligns with MSX’s strategy to broaden the investor base and diversify investment tools and products, enabling companies to access capital efficiently while enhancing corporate maturity, thereby boosting the competitiveness of the national economy, supporting Oman Vision 2040 goals for private sector development and attracting quality investments.
